263 arrested, 125 under surveillance in statewide ‘Cy-Hunt’ operation in Kerala
Kochi: In a major crackdown on cyber and financial crime in the state, police in Kerala arrested 263 individuals and placed 125 others under surveillance as part of a state-wide operation named ‘Cy-Hunt’, aimed at curbing cyber-enabled fraud. A total of 382 cases were registered, according to ADGP S. Sreejith.
The large-scale raids began at 6 am on Thursday and were carried out across all police station limits in the state. The operation was conducted under the supervision of Range DIGs and District Police Chiefs from the Kerala Police Cyber Operations division.
Those arrested are accused of being involved in organised cyber-financial crimes, including the withdrawal of fraudulently obtained money through cheques and ATMs, and profiting illegally by renting out their bank accounts to cyber fraudsters for commission.
According to police, the investigation was initiated after receiving data from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, which identified 2,683 individuals who had suspiciously withdrawn money using cheques, 361 who made withdrawals through ATMs, and 665 who rented out their bank accounts. The arrests were made following detailed evidence collection.
Multiple types of scams
The accused were found to be involved in a variety of scams, including trading frauds, social media advertisement scams, loan and investment frauds, and online job scams. Officials said the operation will continue in the coming days.
43 Arrested in Ernakulam rural district
In Ernakulam Rural district, 43 people were arrested as part of the operation, with checks conducted at 102 locations. In Muvattupuzha alone, police searched 36 sites and detained seven suspects. The raids, led by Rural District Police Chief M Hemalatha, aimed to curb the rising number of cyber fraud cases in the region. Police personnel from all five sub-divisions took part in the coordinated effort.
Those arrested were identified as Muhammad Yaseen (22) from Varappetty, Ernakulam; Mahin Muhammad (19) and Shamon (32) from Nellikkuzhi.
Eight held in Kothamangalam
As part of the same operation, police arrested eight individuals during raids at 21 locations in the Kothamangalam area.
The arrested individuals were identified as Ashwin Santhosh (20) of Kuthukuzhy; Abi Shiju (19) and Fayaz Muhammad (22) of Thankalam; Mahin Aliyar (23) of Cheruvathur; and Thameem Ali (19) from Irumalappadi.
Police said the operation will continue in phases to identify and dismantle networks involved in organised cybercrime across Kerala.